Converting Vinyl Records to CD

How to Convert Vinyl Records to CD

Ahhh... the warm tonal attributes, those faint pops and crackles, the life-sized artwork, just the act of setting needle to groove, they all bring to mind an immersive experience of days gone by. Although advances in audio technology may bring about improved sound quality, they also result in a new set of difficulties that music enthusiasts must overcome.

With the appearance of compact discs (CD's) in the early 1980's, the production of vinyl records began its decline. Compact discs were not nearly as susceptible to degradation from repeated playback, dust and scratches. And as digital audio reproduction improved, the CD with its greater storage capacity, physical durability, and general portability, quickly became the preferred format, leaving vinyl records to slowly fade away.

The number of recordings that ceased to exist with the declining popularity of vinyl is huge. For some audiophiles, this presents a very real problem; because of the inherently fragile form of vinyl records, as well as the slight degeneration of sound quality that comes with every listen, not to mention the fact that many simply can not be replaced, owners of these relics often leave them unplayed for years at a time, collecting dust, and relying on nostalgia to fill the void.

But just as the compact disc was largely responsible for the demise of vinyl, it is this same medium that can help resurrect and preserve these analog veterans from deterioration and obscurity. Let's look at several techniques for copying vinyl records to CD format.

All-in-One Solutions

There are a few all-in-one or combination systems that make it relatively easy to transfer your vinyl recordings to compact disc. The Teac GF-350 Turntable CD Recorder Player (about US$250) offers simplicity, while the Audio Technica AT-LP2D-USB LP-to-Digital Recording System (about US$200) provides a kit to help you create CDs or MP3 files from vinyl recordings.

Roll Your Own: Required Audio Components

Chances are, though, you already have the necessary hardware to breathe new life into your old records. Nearly every household has a computer with a writable CD drive (CD burner) that will accept CD-R (record-once) or CD-RW (rewritable) media. If you don't have a CD burner, external CD-R/RW drives that connect with USB or Firewire cables are readily available, priced at US$30 and up.

Of course, a record player is also required. Thanks to the popularity of hip-hop and electronic music DJ cultures, there still remains a niche market for the production of turntables with both consumer and professional use in mind. Most lack built-in amplification, so a stereo amp or receiver is required to boost the signal from the player to the computer. If you need a turntable or receiver, you can find them at most large electronics stores, starting at around US $100.

Most turntables have a pair of red and white RCA output jacks, often accompanied by a grounding terminal. Connect the color-coded outputs from the turntable to the corresponding inputs on the stereo receiver using a stereo RCA cable, ideally one that includes a third wire with U-shaped connectors that can be secured to grounding terminal screws on each component.

Your stereo receiver should include a pair of main or auxiliary outputs, which need to be connected to your computer via either a stereo RCA or RCA to 1/8-inch cable, depending upon the inputs of your computer's audio card.

NOTE: All of the techniques above apply equally well for transferring cassette tapes to CDs. Just substitute your cassette player for the turntable. If your cassette player does not have RCA-style audio outputs, use a 1/8-inch to RCA cable shown above.

Audio Software

In terms of software, the only real prerequisite is a simple two-track audio editor. Of course, investing $1,100.00 in a ProTools system will certainly do the trick, but it may be a bit more than you need. Instead, many shareware and freeware audio editors are available that will allow you to record, edit, and export your newly digitized audio to be burned to disc. A quick search on a software update web site, such as VersionTracker will produce hundreds of audio editors for both Windows and Macintosh platforms. Audacity is free audio software that comes highly recommended.

Most audio editors function in a similar manner. Consult the manual or help screens of your preferred application for capabilities and specifics. Many programs incorporate a standard array of buttons, often resembling the controls of a cassette deck, which will make the process relatively straight-forward. Be sure that your editor is set to record the incoming signal as a 16-bit stereo .wav or .aif audio file with a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz, so that additional file manipulation will not be necessary prior to burning the audio onto a CD. It's also a good idea to clean the record that you are about to capture, removing as much dust and residue as possible in order to minimize noise.

Plug and Play!

Once all the wires are connected and you've fired up your audio software, just press the Record in your editing program, drop the needle in the groove, then sit back to enjoy your seldom-heard recordings. When playback is complete, stop the audio editor, at which point you will see a waveform display, serving as a visual representation of the audio signal. From here, you can keep the audio completely intact, perfectly mimicking the record itself, or you may choose to divide the recording into its constituent songs.

Either way, the audio can now be burned to a CD with the aid of software such as Windows Media Player, Nero for Windows, or a selection of products from Roxio for both Windows and Macintosh. While these CD-burning applications are designed to be as intuitive and user-friendly as possible, it is important to make the selection to create an Audio CD (rather than data or video) and that you enable Disc At Once (DAO) as opposed to Track At Once (TAO) burning. This will ensure that your CD's are compatible with the majority of CD players. In addition, when choosing blank CD media, opt for high-quality, name brand discs; it would hardly be worth the energy if the entire process had to be repeated in just a few short years. (See Lifetime of a CDROM for more info.)

Got comments about converting vinyl records to CD? Post your thoughts below...